(Answers to reviews)
To Face Yourself: Thanks for your review. You have valid points. I'm just not sure how consistent the Star Wars universe in itself really is. For most of Kano's curriculum, there have been precedential cases.
My character passes his trials and becomes a knight at 16. Allowing this was probably a bad idea on the part of his superiors at the time. But it happened, and there was the case of Vernestra Rwoh (High Republic comics), becoming a knight at the age of 15.
Then we have Quinlan Vos. When he was promoted to the rank of Master, he had technically not completed his apprentice's training. Vos' former Master, Tholme, had (Star Wars Omnibus/Quinlan Vos: Jedi in Darkness).
Kano is granted the rank of Master at age 20 due to particular achievements. The Jedi Council themselves later realize that this was another mistake – despite his unique mastery of some aspects of the Force, Kano remains ill-tempered and passionate and all sorts of things a steadfast Jedi Master should not be. Granted, we have seen other Jedi Masters in both legends and Canon who showed equally questionable behaviour. And we can all agree that the Jedi Council made some mistakes and questionable decisions over the years.
We clearly have different takes on fan fiction (my idea is to play with things and mix them up), but I do respect your points.
To Guest:
It's always fun to read your reviews, and you had some nice ideas some of which I'll try to build into the story.
Let's then look at Grieveous. Imma spoiler my own story and say: Grieveous is not the most interesting character to me. That's why he won't play much of a role in this story.
What could an altercation between Kano and Grieveous look like? I only know Grieveous from the sequels and TCW where he looks like a brutal, strong but still primitive pawn to me. Then there is Kano – a human disaster and terribly bad Jedi, but a swordsman whose weapon is more than just his life, it is his very soul. Combine pristine sword skill, considerable strength in the Force and the will and ability to use the dark side. I'm not sure how much of a chance a non-force sensitive asthmatic half robot would stand against that.
To be honest, I have never imagined a duel between Yoda and Kano. This could be interesting, due to all the points you mentioned. Kano's preferred form is a refined, more precise, stylized variant of Form VII Vaapad. I call it 'Kage no ryu' (yeah, I did take some anime and manga inspiration when writing Kano's character). That doesn't mean he never studied the other forms. He did. Could he defeat Yoda, the most powerful Jedi of his era? Interesting question.
In your other reviews, you bring up even more interesting points, more than I can answer for now. . In my opinion (which I don't claim to be right), there's some hypocrisy in most Jedi who try to be peacekeepers and warriors at the same time and not committing to either one, they fail at both. Kenshin Kano never found much resonance with the Jedi tenets to begin with. He commits to being a warrior early in his life, this being the only viable path he sees for himself. Kano's relationship with the Jedi Order as a whole is strained, it goes as far as open animosity with Mace Windu. As far as Yoda is concerned: Yoda has a great deal of benevolence which Kano can appreciate, but he sees Yoda as too stuck in his old ways. And we have already seen that Kano has not much affinity for compromises.
Feeling alone, nearly outcast, and seeing attachments as an asset, not as evil, those are some of the things he shares with Anakin and yes, he does try to help Anakin find his way in all that mess. Will he succeed? We will see.
You cannot fight your demons. You have to become them
****** Jedi Cruiser Negotiator, Cristophsis orbit
"STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE. DON'T! MOVE!" he yelled. Clone captain CT-7567 , also known as 'Rex', held his blaster firmly pointed at the dark, cloaked figure that had appeared out of thin air. No one had seen them enter the room, they had just suddenly been there. 10 more blasters were pointed at them. Rex had once met another one like this in those first months of the war. A Dathomiri witch going by the name of Ventress, and she made shivers run down his spine every time he remembered that incident. The witch had given his Commander a bloody hard time and said a lot. Commander Skywalker was the most impressive fighter he had ever seen in action. Even more powerful than General Kenobi. The Sith were, from what he understood, like Jedi, but a corrupted, evil version of them. While Rex didn't think of himself as easy to intimidate, the demon now looming on the bridge instilled something in him that could only be called primal fear. At least he thought it was a 'him', from what little the cloak revealed. The hood was finally lifted and revealed a human face. A young human man, looking worn and carrying a grim, aloof expression. The clone troopers gripped their blasters a little tighter. A prominent double scar ran down the left side of the face that one might have called handsome, had it not been for the disfiguring injury. The unsettlingly piercing, dark eyes did little to ease his feelings. Where is Commander Skywalker when you need him – if this ..thing...man...was what he thought he was, as mere Clones they wouldn't stand a chance. Finally, the doors moved apart and the Commander stormed in, lightsaber ablaze.
When he saw the intruder, Skywalker stopped dead in his tracks. He shut off his weapon and shook his head.
"Weapons down and at ease, everyone" he commanded with a deep sigh and then said : "For Force's sake, Kenshin! Couldn't you have announced yourself, like a normal person, and not scared my men to death?"
"They're very much alive from what I see, and the security protocols on this cruiser are a joke. A youngling could have tricked these systems. Meanwhile you could send a few of your men to service and refuel my ship. It's in hangar bay B-58." the other man retorted drily. Skywalker sighed and introduced the visitor. "Men, meet Master Kenshin Kano, the Jedi Intelligence agent currently serving our battalion."
"That?...That guy is a Jedi?" Rex asked with his mouth gaping, throwing a sceptical glance first to the man, then to his Commander. He liked to think that there wasn't that much that could faze him. This man however truly gave him the creeps. Weren't Jedi supposed to be ..good?
"I was a Jedi last time I checked" the man gave back. "And you are?"
Rex stiffened upon being directly addressed.
"I'm sorry, Sir, Clone captain CT-7567, Sir!"
"Your name!? You're not a number" the man inquired, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"The name is Rex, Sir." he replied and held himself yet a little straighter.
Kenshin nodded in acknowledgement, stepped past Rex and inserted a small data disk into the projector in the middle of the room. A detailed holo model of a large building complex appeared, with extensive information blended in to compliment the various areas of the huge facility. An elaborate droid factory, and an enormous one at that. Anakin's eyes went wide, Rex couldn't hold back a gasp.
"Call General Kenobi! Right now! That...that's the new mega factory we had rumours the Separatists are constructing. And there it is, together with its exact location and supply routes! We've been looking for that intel for months! How did you get that? If we can destroy this factory before it's taken into operation, this could turn the tide, this could help us win the war!"
"Glad I could be of service, Commander Skywalker" Kenshin said, a hint of grin on his face. "And if I tell you how I aquired this intel, Windu might have me executed after all."
"Ugh, why do I even ask."
The war had spread quickly – too quickly - across the entire galaxy, and had been going on for already too long. The Grand Army of the Republic had been assembled in an spectacularly short amount of time, consisting of the dutiful Clones that Kamino produced and Jedi to lead the battalions as Generals. There were critical voices, too, and some saw the new military roles of the Jedi as controversial. Wrong. It all felt so wrong and for once, Kenshin wasn't the only one feeling uneasy about the decisions the Council made for the Order at large.
As Jedi, they had no place in a war. They should not be tools to the Republic military. Now this was what they had become despite it all, and did they accredit this new role? No, many still claimed to be peacekeepers. And in this hypocrisy, Kenshin felt they failed at either role. And why was nobody asking questions where this army had so miraculously come from? Sifo Dyas, deceased under rather mysterious circumstances, had commissioned the Clones according to their Kaminoan producers, in an attempt to prepare the Jedi for dark times he had foreseen in visions. All of this didn't make quite enough sense for Kenshin to feel at ease with it. Too many loose ends, to many unanswered questions.
The young Master had been wise enough to refuse serving as a General and taken on the role of a spy instead. His reaction to the first request of the kind had been: "I can't stand people, and you want me to lead them?" The more his work in the shadows had soon proven invaluable. The intel he managed to bring to the surface often helped lead missions and battles to victory. In spite of numerous successes on Republic side, the war raged on. Kenshin often felt like he was merely scratching at the surface of something enormous and dark, small droplets of water dripping into a deep pit of lava without ever being able to touch or calm its core.
Anakin, the still to be teenager, was a supernova of energy, resourceful and impulsive. There was one thing he was not, and that was stealthy. So, he had come to be assigned to serve as a Commander under General Obi-Wan Kenobi. While that was a lot of responsibility for an 18 year old, it was a place where his ego came in handy. He felt right at home in a position of command. His 18th birthday had been spent on the battlefield dismantling dozens of droids with his lightsaber, he couldn't remember where that had been. What he did remember were two messages congratulating him. One from Padmé, the other one from Kenshin. At night, a little package had been waiting for him in his quarters. A gift? Inside, he found a small dagger made from cortosis. The rare metal was able to resist lightsabers and blaster impacts and was obscenely expensive. The weapon was small enough to be hidden in a boot or underneath his clothing, and simply but beautifully crafted. Stealthy, but effective. 'May it serve you well' the note inside the box had said. It had made him smile, he knew exactly who this gift came from. He found his master's affinity for non-energy weapons endearing and this little dagger might indeed come in handy in some situations.
Every time Kenshin met with his apprentice, he found him changed. Grown, more mature.
He felt content with Anakin working under Kenobi's watchful eyes and wise lead. As much as he missed Anakin and loved him as deeply as a brother would love another, he was wary of himself. Quinlan would always say to question but never doubt himself. Yet he could never shake those doubts, he didn't trust himself to be a good mentor. Not since Geonosis. In Kenobi, Anakin had now someone steadfast to look up to. Obi-Wan was the embodiment of stability and calculated composure and Kenshin felt like this man could teach Anakin more than he ever could have.
Together, Obi-Wan and Anakin and the 212th batallion had achieved some of the Republic's major victories by this time, and the Padawan had begun to make a name for himself. His tactics were bold and unorthodox, but effective. Where Kenobi was referred to as "The Negotiator", Anakin was soon called the "Hero with no Fear". Kenshin operated in the shadows, although rumours had it that the 212th was being supported by a frighteningly capable Jedi spy. There ended up being a name for Kenshin, too, even though no one knew the identity behind that name. They called him "The Demon".
Kenobi and Skywalker were brilliant stars in a dark, scorched, and blackened sky. Truth was, despite all their incredible achievements, that the Grand Army of the Republic was facing serious issues of troop depletion and the Separatist Droid Army was steadily gaining ground. Kenshin's intel and his discovery of the location and details of the droid factory project could indeed be the key to turn the scales.
The fleet was being stationed above Ryloth, where Kenobi was currently coordinating a relief effort down on the planet's surface. They sent him a notification to return to the Negotiator and transferred the data via encrypted channels to the Jedi Council. Consequently, the cruiser was ordered back to Coruscant where a new tactic would be worked out. At last, Anakin ushered Kenshin out of the room. "You look like you're in desperate need of a meal, and some rest. Let's go eat something."
"You know me too well"
Did he, though? Since the war had started, the young man had not seen much of his Master anymore. For sure he was happier with is role as a Commander than with being a mere Jedi Padawan. He was given responsibilities and he could make decisions. Make a difference. Kenobi was a great mentor and adviser whenever he had need of it. Still, this eternal tension remained. He always felt on edge. He felt lonely, too. Padmé was eagerly fulfilling her senatorial duties on Coruscant. The galaxy capital was far, far away from wherever he was being sent. All he had while in the field were the rare occasions when he could send a transmission to Coruscant in secret and talk to her.
With his Master, he didn't even have that. The spy always worked under cover and there were few chances of getting ahold of him, safe for when he made contact himself delivering intel. He missed having a friend around. He missed the erratic nature of Kenshin's presence that at the same time had such a unique way of making him feel safe and reassured. Instead, he was left to himself and his thoughts most of the time. There were many thoughts and intrusive ones at that. It was Anakin's nature to worry about those he cared for. The war did little to help with that. Since Geonosis, there always was a shadow, a sadness in Kenshin's eyes he would never talk about. Force, had Anakin tried. In vain. Kenshin was too good at building walls around himself. All while Anakin could have used some comfort and reassurance a lot more often that he would have cared to admit. The war took a toll on his spirit and the carefreeness he eagerly displayed when around the men he commanded.
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked once they had reached the ship's mess, as if he had read Anakin's thoughts. A droid placed a meal in-front of each human. Military rations that had their usual, questionable taste to them, but edible.
"Nothing. Everything's fine. With the intel you've provided, we can deal the Seppies a blow so devastating they won't know what hit them." he replied with a little too much enthusiasm.
Kenshin only raised an eyebrow.
Anakin had never been good at hiding his feelings, especially not from Kenshin.
New conflicts erupted everywhere in the galaxy on a daily basis and the sense of doom Kenshin and other Jedi felt lingering everywhere grew thicker by the day. For weeks on end now, he had woken up with a headache that would never leave. And there he had experienced war and the abyss of its darkness before. How must Anakin have been feeling? He could only imagine.
The Padawan sighed. "I guess I'm a bit tired. Ryloth has been rough. I could use a break. We've been trying to lay siege to the separatist holds for weeks before the break-through"
"That's not what's really bothering you."
"Would you mind staying out of my head?" the younger man snapped. He had missed his Master, but not the man's unnerving way of reading his thoughts seemingly at will.
For a long time, Anakin didn't say anything. There had another attempt on Padmé's life. She was opposing a military enhancement bill. Sure, he could see how the Republic lacked resources and the people on thousands of worlds were facing more and more precarious situations. He wanted to end the war, too! And to end it, they did need troops. One of her political opponents had chosen to take the supposedly easy route. Thank the Force Captain Panaka had once more proven a capable protector and averted a tragedy.
"Have you ever loved, Master?" he asked at last.
Without so much as a flinch and to his big surprise, Kenshin said "Yes. Still do."
"Really?" he exclaimed before he could think better of how childish and stupid that sounded.
"Unbelievable, I know." came Kenshin's dry retort
"Kyra? The archaeologist we met at Dex's, like, a century ago?"
"No. Kyra and me, uhm...we're just friends." Kenshin said and looked to the side, as if to avoid Anakin's glance.
Kyra was the last person he wanted to think about. They had been friends, yes. For nearly eight years. When he had then been called back to Coruscant for good, they had seen each other more often and one thing had eventually led to another. There had been nights he had not spent in his quarters at the Jedi temple, nor scouring the underground for information or the black markets for artefacts. It had all been fun and games, which meant that Kenshin preferred not to even think about his feelings. Until Kyra had come forward with hers. And it had scared him.
He had stared at her for moments on end, and finally said:
"We should not see each other again. Forget me!"
Then he had left, and he had never contacted her again after that, nor would he answer any of her messages or calls. He was fighting demons of his own as much as he was pursuing an ominous enemy that still had no name or form. He couldn't deal with another person's feelings and needs in his life. At the same time, he found himself incapable of explaining all of this to her. He was an asshole, he had blown it, and he knew it.
"Friends. Right" Anakin teased with a small grin.
"Let's say it's complicated?" his Master admitted and exhaled deeply. "Her name was Araya."
"Was?"
"She's dead."
To that, Anakin didn't know what to say.
"We were both new knights, and we both already believed we could save the galaxy by ourselves. In reality we had little idea what we were doing. I was 16, she was 18. We had been on several missions together as Padawans. When we'd been promoted to Knighthood, we decided to team up and work together. We took a long time to understand what was happening between us. We knew it was against the code. But we couldn't help it. Neither did we know what the right thing would be to do. Live it in secret, or leave the Jedi order, or do something different altogether. All we understood was, we loved each other deeply. We decided we would give it time and let time figure out what to do about it. That time never came. We were trying to dismantle a slaver's rink on Zygerria. We had intel when they would launch their next coup, seizing a village and abducting its population, but we didn't have enough forces - it was just the two of us – to prevent the siege. While I was trying to gather reinforcements and find allies, the slavers made a new move, and she went in without telling me. They captured her. I found her eventually, but it was too late. I held her as she died. I had failed to save her, just as I had failed to save my Master. "
"It wasn't your fault" Anakin commented.
"It didn't feel that way. It still doesn't feel that way. I can only guess what Padmé means to you, and it's not my place to judge you. Love is something beautiful. Love is powerful."
"Who says it's about Padmé? It was just...a theoretic question!"
"I'm an idiot, but I'm neither stupid nor blind."It had indeed been obvious. The moments on the terrace on Naboo, and how the senator had looked at the Jedi apprentice and how he had looked back – it had been palpable and it didn't require being Force sensitive to understand what was going on.
"The code forbids attachments"Anakin said without his heart being in it.
"The code doesn't always make sense! Attachments are forbidden in the code – but that doesn't mean they are wrong "
Anakin gave him an insecure, questioning look.
"Controlling our passions, while being in love, that's what they should teach us to beware. Love, itself, will save you, not condemn you. Love causes pain and sorrows, as much as it leads to joy. How you deal with the bad part is what determines your character and the dark side's hold over you. What the jedi code lacks is the ability to recognize our nature and find value in our lives."
An awkward silence followed. Had Kenshin spoken these words in front of any other Jedi, he might already have faced consequences. To Anakin, it meant a great deal. At last, Kenshin added "I'm probably the wrong guy to ask for that kind of advice, though. I have yet to heed my own advice and practice what I teach."
Kenshin's comlink chirped.
"Is there anywhere I can take this in private?"
"Why not here?"
"With droids and dozens of troopers around? My contact...would not appreciate that."
"Right now, it's only you and me in here!"
"Anakin, please!"
He felt alienated that his Master wouldn't take the call in his presence but deemed this pointless to discuss. He brought took him to his own quarters.
Once alone, Kenshin quickly scanned the room for listening devices and bugs. To his relief, it was clear.
He pressed the button and the head of a Bith appeared as a holo image.
"You asked to be alerted in the case we'd find unusual patterns. In all honesty, we don't have much. A few transmissions that we found only traces of. And a suspicious transport going to Tatooine around the time you indicated. It was all linked to some place in the political district on Coruscant, but we haven't been able to locate the exact source. Someone had then inquired about a human female named Shmi Skywalker. And made contact with one of the Tusken leaders roaming the areal where the woman lived. Whoever it was, they operated very cautiously and clearly knew what they were doing. They used several different middle men and encrypted channels, it took us quite a while and a significant amount of effort to decipher the little we could. One of the transports we traced back had then gone to Serenno. The data package is waiting for you in the usual location. That is all."
"Thank you. Your compensation will be on your account momentarily."
"As always, a pleasure doing business with you!" Knowing that he'd be paid handsomely, the informant smiled, bowed and the holo image faded back away.
Kenshin suppressed a hearty curse. This merely confirmed that the death of Anakin's mother had been planned murder. He still didn't know who had targeted the poor woman, or why. And why there had been a Sith artefact involved, the one he had found. All his efforts had led to nothing but dead ends.
Serenno. This might be a new lead.
Was all this Dooku's doing? But why?
Kenshin moved to one of the two bunks and all but collapsed into it. As Anakin walked in half an hour later, he found his Master asleep. He hadn't even taken off his boots or weapons and was shivering and very agitated. Gently, the Padawan draped a blanket over him, then took one of his hands and gently caressed his forehead. Kenshin didn't wake up upon the touch and reaching out with the Force, Anakin could sense a deep distress. This was troubling. Usually his Master would constantly conceal his presence in the Force and would never let anything slip past his shields, not even in his sleep. He quietly cited a Huttese poem. It was a poem for children, one that his mother had always told when he had been sick as a small boy, holding his hand and stroking his forehead just like he did with Kenshin now. A while after, the shaking stopped.
Back on Coruscant, Kenshin sensed he had not been the only one to return to base. He didn't like what he felt. When Quinlan's usually optimistic and confident nature felt as quiet in the Force as it did right now, it must have been bad. There were only so many places in the temple the Kiffar would go to be alone, and he had soon found his friend. He sneaked up from behind and squeezed him in a big, tight hug.
"K-dog! I like the bones in my body intact and in one piece each, thank you very much!" he gave a fake protest.
"What about a drink? I have a bottle of Corellian wine in my quarters that doesn't get better from just sitting there."
"Corellian wine? What in the Force happened for such a delicacy to find its way to you?"
"A gift from Kenobi. He needed some messages covertly transferred to a certain someone, and I did that for him."
"Out of the goodness of your heart, of course! You never forgo a chance to break some rules if you can help it."
"Damn right. Now stop being an ugly excuse for a statue and come!"
"You're one to talk, you look like a tattered nexu! Have you ever changed your clothes since the war started?"
"Makes me blend in better with my work environment." Kenshin commented drily.
Quinlan wasn't wrong. Kenshin's shaggy attire resembled rags more than anything else. His appearance was, visibly so, the last thing on his mind.
In the secure tranquillity of Kenshin's room, Quinlan emptied two glasses of the exquisite beverage at once.
Kenshin gave him a questioning glance and said, "I have something stronger than wine, too, you know."
"That would not be wise"
"I'm not a wise man. Neither are you."
For a long time, neither said another word.
"Fuck, Kenshin! FUCK!" Quinlan finally cried out. "I FAILED! I've been out there for TWO YEARS and I knew nothing about what was being planned on Geonosis, and two hundred Jedi died there. Aayla might have died. You might have died!"
"No one knew that Dooku had gone over to the wrong side to serve the Sith. What can I tell you, other than the same advice you gave me a few months ago? I've had informants of my own there, as well, and I had no idea. Nobody had any idea. Whoever is pulling the strings here, they're powerful, vicious, stealthy, and extremely clever. It's not your fault, Quin, you cannot blame yourself for what happened on Geonosis !"
"When I told you not to blame yourself for everything bad that happens in the galaxy, did you listen to me?"
Kenshin gave a sad smile. "No. Not really. But it still helped."
He had not told his friend what had gone down when he was wandering alone in the desert on Tatooine. But he told him about the amulet. And what Dooku had said. And the duel, where he encountered a much greater darkness than the one that had come from just Dooku alone. Quinlan listened in grave silence.
Having finished his reporting, Kenshin fumbled with a small stick containing a yellow liquid and emptied the contents into his drink.
"Please tell me that this isn't what I think it is!" Quin protested, pointing at the stick
"What do you want me to do! Painkillers stopped working a long time ago."
"You're a blasted, kriffin' idiot"
"That much I know!"
"Go see the healers, for Force's sake!"
"In the past year, I've been thrust into walls, shot and blown to pieces, beaten to pulp and sliced up with lightsabers. There's only so much the healers can do!"
"And that shit right here will kill you much sooner than later! You and that half of a brain cell you have left!"
"I have a feeling I'm not gonna live to an old age anyways."
"You're a force-forsaken nerfherder. Your life may mean nothing to you, but you have a Padawan to take care of and friends who, despite your beliefs, care about you!"
Quinlan reached into a pocket in his robes, pulled out a small sachet and handed it to his friend. "Use that instead. It's not as strong, but far less damaging."
"And that is?"
"Mari herbs, from Kiffar. It has a calming effect on your mind and helps with the pain. You smoke it, or if that's not an option, you can just chew it. That stash here should last you a month. I'll get you more. Just please, for the love of all that is holy, stay the fuck away from those death sticks."
"I'll give my best." Kenshin said half-heartedly.
"So, what are you up to next?" Quinlan asked.
"Actually, I've got somewhere to be later today. A senate session is about to begin in an hour."
"What in all moons and stars drives you to go and attend a senate session?!"
"A feeling." he said. "Just a feeling. Anakin had said something about Senator Amidala and a military enhancement bill and things getting a little hot over there. I think I should look into it"
Kenshin stepped into the pod reserved for members of the Jedi Order, which was currently empty, careful to remain in the shadows to obscure himself from anyone's view and tightening his shields in the Force once more. Nothing and no one would take notice of his presence now, unless they happened to catch a glimpse of his physical form snugged to the wall. He couldn't see much that way, he didn't need to. He heard everything being said and the Force told him more than enough. There was a lot of agitation. Strong feelings on all sides about what was about to be brought to the senate floor.
A speech opposing the bill on five million more clones was scheduled with Bail Organa, only that the revered senator was nowhere to be found. At last, it was Amidala who came forward to speak on his behalf. Kenshin admired her courage. He knew by now that she had been opposing the bill since it had been first brought up. 'Traitor' and 'unpatriotic' were among the nicer things she had been called in return, and then there had been the most recent attempt on her life.
She made the more than sensible proposition to stop the war, not escalate it. Clamour and chaos rose in the senate chamber as a reaction.
She addressed straight away what the war did – impoverishing the people on thousands of worlds, eating away at their very base of living and at last, the Naboo senator managed to sway the ambiance and open more minds to the idea of pursuing a diplomatic solution instead of increasing war efforts. While he listened to Amidala's fiery speech, something about the Chancellor caught his attention. His words were slippery and smooth, innocuous as most politicians were. His whole aura on the other hand sent a different message. Palpatine didn't exactly strike him as a man doing all he could to bring back peace.
Without being entirely sure what to look for, Kenshin continued to scan the chamber when it overtook him. He supressed a pained cry and his knees buckled. He collapsed to the floor, his vision blackened. A surge of excruciating pain and worse, unspeakable darkness. It was like a terror in the Force. As suddenly as it had come, it was gone. It had been but a glimpse of a presence. The Jedi remained on the floor and gasped for air; it took him almost a minute to get his breathing back under control. He had sensed this presence in the Force before. It was the same one that had ripped Shmi Skywalker's life out of his reach.
Padmé retreated into her office. Her speech seemed to have swayed some minds, although no one could know for sure until the vote was passed. Her head was spinning, she couldn't believe the madness and short-sightedness she was faced with in this campaign, in this war. She did her damnest to fight for a peaceful solution, but more and more often not even her positive spirits could shed a positive light onto the situation.
Her office would be empty by now, all her aides and maids retired for the day. Which was exactly what she needed; she couldn't bear talking any more. With a sense of relief, she stepped through the door, closed it, and shrieked. Her hand reached for the small blaster hidden beneath her skirt.
"Senator Amidala"
The dark silhouette turned around and Padmé lowered her weapon. Her knuckles were still white from grasping it too hard.
It was a Jedi. She recognized Kenshin Kano, Anakin's Master. She had met him on a few occasions. Once when Anakin and him had been assigned as her protectors, and then on Geonosis. Anakin often talked about him, he looked at him as a brother figure he admired and looked up to him. When Anakin admired someone, that was saying much! She herself wasn't entirely sure what to think of the man. He was not like other Jedi. He always had something dark and uncanny about him.
"Master Kano..." she was more than mildly annoyed he had intruded without an invitation. Nevertheless, she didn't forget her good manners and waived to Threepio for the droid to bring some refreshments.
"I appreciate you're dedicating some of your undoubtedly valuable time to come see me, but I would much prefer if you announced yourself. You scared me to the bones!"
"I'm sorry." he muttered without meaning it. The words were a formality, not more.
"You've delivered a reasonable and well laid out plea to the senate, and I'm sorry you're treated as an unpatriotic partisan. This war has been going on for too long already, it must end."
With her uninvited guest cutting right to the chase, she decided to forego any pleasantries from her side as well and released all her frustration.
"Unfortunately, too few see it this way. Too few senators understand and see the extends of the damage the war does. The banking clan, now that it is deregulated, is raising 25% interest. The amount of the interest alone would bankrupt the republic, the basic needs of our people evaporated. To add fuel to the flames, the separatists, from what the Banking clan representative said, have commissioned 3 million more battle droids."
"In a few days, my Padawan will be on his way to do something about that." he spoke. At the last moment, he had refrained from saying 'your boyfriend'.
Anakin had indeed been assigned to make a move on the recently discovered droid factory, along with Kenobi and his 212th.
Padmé went on.
"More troops will only prolong the fight. That won't help us! Master Kano, I'm devastated seeing the insanity we face. To think that all I want is to end the war to protect our people and I'm being accused of separatist conspiracy. Fellow senators opposing the bill were being threatened. My uncle himself has been jumped by thugs, and the police claims it to be an unfortunate ordinary accident, but I know that it's related to him working against the bill. Bail Organa himself has been attacked. That was the reason he hasn't held his speech himself; he was in the hospital."
She let herself sink into a chair. Finally, Threepio came back with cold drinks. She absently grabbed a glass and handed the other one to the Jedi.
"This is madness. It has been nothing but madness since the war began! "
"Planned madness, Senator. Planned, just like the death of Mina Bonteri at the hand of Dooku's thugs."
"You believe Dooku is puling these strings?"
"This is what I'm trying to find out. I sense there is more than just Dooku behind it. But who or what? These are dark times."
These were dark times indeed and there was a lot more to Kano than the façade of the thuggish brute he outwardly displayed. Yet she still didn't see the reason for his visit, and it was clear to her that he hadn't just come to chat or compliment her on her speech.
"As much as I appreciate your visit, Master Kano, and as glad as I am that we see eye to eye in this matter, what brought you here?"
"How do you feel about the Chancellor?"
"Chancellor Palpatine?"
"Do you feel he is genuine in his attempts to work towards a peaceful solution?"
" Oh. I mean…. Chancellor Palpatine is one of my oldest advisers, and he served as my ambassador when I was Queen of Naboo."
"Interesting answer. Evasive. Does he keep corruption from taking hold in the senate? Does his assumedly noble past stop a quest for power?"
Padmé's eyes began to glitter with despair. She understood what Kano was going for. Oh yes, she understood and those were things she didn't want to understand. The Jedi had hit that sour spot that she had not yet dared to go near. The problem was not that she wasn't aware of this changing reality, as subtle and hidden as it might have been. She had not wanted to see it.
Had Palpatine really supported her crusade against the military enhancement bill? Or had he merely hidden behind the veil of 'having to let the wheels of democracy turn?'
"Your silence answers my question, better than words could. Neither of us knows what we're up against. But you've understood that what used to be true and trustworthy may not be any longer.
Have a good night, Senator!"
The air suction of the opening and then closing door was the only audible noise as the Jedi left.
Despite the late hour as he returned to the temple, sleep wouldn't come and when it finally did, it was again restless. He had barely slept for half an hour when he woke with a start, his heart beating like a drum. He couldn't remember the nightmare, only a sickening sensation still lingered. He went to the temple garden; it was almost deserted at this hour. Maybe meditation would bring the much-needed rest. More than ever, he could relate to Anakin hardly being able to meditate. For most of his life, it had been difficult for himself. Ever since his Master had died, more precisely. Extensive exhaustion however had one advantage – it made transcending into meditation easier.
To be a Jedi is to confront their fear. Their darkness
A wisdom Kenobi had imparted on him, that he on his turn had gotten from Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan was the picture-perfect Jedi, yet he was by far not as harsh in his judging and about the only one of the knights and masters who did not condemn him for mourning his Master. Obi-Wan had gone through that terrible loss himself. Kenshin had never asked Obi-Wan for his counsel or comfort, but Obi-Wan had given it, nonetheless. And so, Kenshin had finally worked up the courage to go take up meditation again. His darkest emotions, fears and sadness would come up. He had to face it. That was what his Master's force ghost had meant to tell him. And sometimes, very rarely, the Force allowed him to transcend beyond the darkness and granted him a moment of calm and serenity. That, or insight. He had to know who or what this dark presence had been. He had to hunt it. The elusive source of all evil. Finally, he had sunk deep into meditation and found a resemblance of serenity when a warning nudged his mind. There was someone.
A split-second later he was firmly gripping both of his attacker's hands and blocking their offensive blow. They …. she, she was a female human, held a purple lightsaber, the shade a little lighter than his own, that just about died back into its hilt. He sensed the assailant wasn't after his life and let go. The woman rubbed her assaulted wrists and gave a content, devious smile. She stood a little taller than him and her silver, wavy hair framed a weathered, determined face.
"Now if that isn't the demon himself. I thought you were taller."
She got a questioning glance as a response.
"The demon. The GAR's greatest urban legend. A scaringly capable, elusive secret agent and powerful warrior, terror of the CIS. I wasn't entirely sure if it was you, but after observing you and what little is known of your operations for a while, my senses told me I was looking at the right man. "
"And you are?"
"I am the one they call the dark woman. After everything I've heard, and when I got the news you're back on Coruscant, I had to finally see for myself. You have quite the reputation!"
"The moments of peace I am granted are rare. And you just disrupted one!" Kenshin growled and had the tip of his own lightsaber blade now pointed at the woman's throat.
"Hm…. You're impulsive, aggressive... Looks like the rumours are true. A heretic who disrespects the Jedi Code and flirts too much with the dark side is amongst the nicer things they said about you."
"I don't know what makes you think I care about your opinion. What do you want, other than to annoy the holy bantha crap out of me?"
"I was merely being curious, Kano. Master Windu and the Council seem to harbour some strong feelings against you, and that with them being usually so composed."
"I'm aware of that and I don't care. Shut the fuck up and leave!"
The dark woman did as he asked and sent him another smile that could have been malicious or roguish, he couldn't tell.
The next morning saw Kenshin hidden behind a staple of books and data pads. More and more, he came to love the archives. It was quiet and hardly anyone ever bothered him there, apart from Madame Nu who didn't have a whole lot of appreciation for him bringing snacks and hot beverages into the library.
He shook his head as he pondered over the strange encounter of the night before.
The dark woman. A quick search told him her real name was An'ya Kuro, and she seemed a rather weird individual, almost a religious fanatic. That still didn't explain what she had wanted. This was just as strange as the data he had unearthed in the last couple of hours. The means of searching did involve some slicing and less legal methods; the more they were effective and efficient.
He had found hints about shady investments in minor suppliers of energy conglomerates. Banking businesses and financial transactions. A surge had occurred in the military sector before the Clone Wars. Baktoid Armor Works, Haor Chall Engineering, Colicoid Creation Nest and more. The data suggested some nefarious business had unfolded.
Then there was Palpatine's personal history. His family had tragically died in what was described as an accident. Not too much was said about the circumstances. The most intriguing document was a diary, written by a Jedi Master named Ronhar Kim. Kim's homeworld? Naboo, just like Palpatine's. The first entries were older, dating from the time when Valorum had still been chancellor. Kim wrote about his suspicions of the hidden Sith Lord to be amongst the leading members of the Republic government. Him and his Padawan had eventually developed plans to have midichlorian tests done on all the members of the Senate to determine their respective midi-chlorian counts. Whomever would show the highest count would clearly be the Sith they were looking for. Then the diary stopped. Some more research revealed that Kim and his apprentice had died on a supposedly simple mission to Merson, that had turned into a hopeless, devastating defeat. Kenshin also found that the two Jedi had been publicly mourned by Palpatine before the full Galactic Senate. The now Supreme Chancellor had used the incident as a reason to goad on the war effort and further increase security measures, thus boosting his own executive power.
"Hey" Anakin said as a means of greeting. The apprentice had spotted him in the library and approached.
Kenshin looked older and more worn than he had the last time they had met. We met just yesterday Anakin thought. Dark brown eyes flicked to him, a disturbed spark of purple glimmering in them. Then it was gone. It had been but a glimpse of a deep, unimaginable sadness. Something dark.
"You ok, Master?"
"Yeah" Kenshin said quickly. Too quickly for Anakin to believe it, but he knew prying was pointless. There was this feeling again, that his Master was drifting away, an uncomfortable distance growing between them. A sense of fear flared up in Anakin. I'm still his Padawan he thought. Not in the fierce, impatient way of the apprentice who finally wanted to become a Jedi knight. In the way of a boy who longed for comfort in his older brother.
He was seeking Kenshin's counsel for the upcoming mission, about that droid factory. The Council had authorized and commanded a mission to move against it, and the provided intel was extensive enough. Kenobi would lead the global part of the operation, but it would be him managing everything that happened planet side. His preparation was flawless – so thorough it was almost unlike his spontaneous nature, and Kenshin stated as much. There was not much advise he really needed.
"Hey, wanna spar?" Anakin concluded their conversation. "We haven't done that in a long time, and you could use the exercise!"
"Someone's desperate to get his ass kicked."A mischievous grin appeared on Kenshin's face.
In the dojo, Anakin almost regretted having challenged his Master to a duel. He was able to hold his own longer than usual, he had progressed considerably in the past months. Yet in the end he still got his ass handed to him, and not on a silver platter either.
"You still got it, Master! But you should work on your endurance, you're panting like a mating bantha!"
"A what!?"
Anakin laughed uncontrollably while dodging a new series of rapid blows and the duel recommenced. It ended in another defeat for the Padawan, but closer this time.
"You've gotten good!" Kenshin acknowledged with a genuine smile. It had been a long time since Anakin had seen him smile like that.
Master and apprentice were just about to leave the dojo when a young, high-pitched voice was calling after them and someone approached with rapid steps.
„Kenshin! Master Kenshin! " A young Echani girl was running towards them and stopped, expectantly looking up at him. Kenshin pondered…. yes, he remembered. Her name was Nari, the girl he had encountered a few months before.
"Do you want to train with me? You could show me more tricks! Please?"
Kenshin didn't say anything in response. He nearly froze. Initiates were exasperating.
Anakin chimed in with a wide grin on his face. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be glad to. And you're lucky, he's even got some spare time on his hands." He patted Kenshin on the shoulder who sent him a glare that clearly said 'you'll pay for that later'.
Anakin's grin became even wider. Nothing better than some sweet little revenge, and his cranky gundark of a Master could use some cheering up, too. This youngling had appeared at the best time.
"See? Your Padawan doesn't mind if I borrow you for a while!" she said cheerfully.
The dark-haired Jedi sighed. "No."
"Why not?" she inquired.
" I'm not good company for a youngling."
"Don't worry. I know who you are! When Master Drallig asked how I learned the tricks you showed me last time, and I told him your name, he knew you. He said, you're the best swordsman and the worst Jedi he's ever seen."
"He's right. At least about the last part. I don't know about the first."
"But….when you're good with a lightsaber, how can you be a bad Jedi?"
"Being good with a lightsaber doesn't make you a good Jedi. One has nothing to do with the other!"
"You could still teach me a few more moves, though!"
"Master Drallig or your other teachers will not be happy when they see you around me."
"Actually he said, it is good when I learn from you. And it's good when we prepare."
"Prepare for what?"
"They said, some of us might soon be assigned to Jedi cruisers, to help the clones or something. But it hasn't been decided yet."
Kenshin's face went pale. He looked at Anakin.
"Is that true? They want to send younglings to war?"
"Stop calling me a youngling! I'm 8!" Nari protested, but neither man listened.
"I heard someone from the senate made a request of the kind. The Council refused for now, but there were politicians who wanted to see more Jedi supporting the war effort." Anakin replied
"So they're still considering it?"
"Honestly, Master, I don't think it's gonna happen. They're younglings, after all. What can children do to support in war?"
Have they gone completely mad Kenshin thought and wasn't sure if he meant the Council for even considering such a request, or the ruthless scum that some of the power-hungry senators were.
In the end, he did give in and gave Nari another lesson. She was talented, very talented and moved with a precision that was mind-blowing for someone so young. The joy she radiated as he worked with her made even him smile before his face turned grim again. If anyone on the Council approved of sending her or other initiates into the field, he'd set the Council chamber on fire.
Later that night, the dark had already set in, he made himself comfortable in his favourite spot on the temple roof.
Millions of lights blinked in the distance from Coruscant's ever flowing traffic. As if there weren't a galaxy at war and billions of beings suffering from it.
How could it end? What Padmé Amidala had said was painfully true, every single word. Escalating the war effort was a devastating measure, cutting into the Republic's own flesh and undermining the principles and ideals the Republic stood for and that the Jedi defended. Civilians in thousands of systems were suffering, clones and Jedi alike sent to be slaughtered in battle after battle. What good did it really do? The war was still raging on, yet no one in the GAR nor the Jedi Council seemed willing to see that their tactics didn't work. What did the senate do to stop the war? Every politician on that floor pretended to want to stop the war, but what did they really do, what did they really achieve? He had held his tongue the last time he talked to Anakin, but truth was – Palpatine's concerned face was so fake it made him want to vomit.
When Count Dooku had said the Republic to be rotten and corrupt, he had been right, as much as Kenshin hated to admit that. Not that Dooku or the CIS were any better. The Count was greedy, hungry for power and cruel. The ideals he pretended to hold dear were merely a pretext and cover-up for his true, dirty intentions.
As flawed as the Republic was, as long as there were people like Amidala and Organa, maybe there was hope for a better world to come.
He didn't wonder whether he was standing on the right side in this war. There should be no war altogether. Hiro, his old sword master, had once said that to kill a dragon, one must cut off its head.
On his home planet of Nanta and the war fighting off the occupation, it had been no different. Him and his people, had been no more than a handful of dirty rebels. And yet, they had cut off the dragon's head and freed their world.
The Clone Wars were a much more complex battlefield, and its dragon was much more powerful. This dragon, this obscure entity whose power he had only sensed glimpses of. Whoever had cast these shadows over the galaxy, obscuring and sickening even the vibrations of the Force. A phantom menace, but there was no phantom he had yet encountered that didn't have a quite physical reality to it. A dragon's head could always be cut off. It was simply a matter of finding its hideout. He reminisced the senate session and wondered if he had maybe already been looking at it. He, Kenshin, didn't fear the darkness. And he was good at finding things. The time had come to do what needed to be done.
Anakin's departure for the droid factory mission was scheduled for the next day. Kenshin would stay at the temple for another while. After the training duel, he had finally listened to Quin and gone to the healer's ward. He had won both matches, but it had cost him unusually much and something about his body just felt off. Madame Che, the Chief healer, had immediately grounded him for a week. Some internal injuries that had not fully healed and a minor concussion, courtesy of a rough day a while ago when he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. That explained the blasted headaches. He was not at all unhappy about that. It would grant him a much-needed break and he planned on spending the entirety of this week in bed. If he could manage to not think about all the loose ends he was trying to clear up.
He indulged in a portion of the herbs Quin had given him. Half an hour later, it began to take effect and it took off the edge of this constant restlessness biting at him. He meditated and this time managed to find a sense of serenity. Knowing that he wouldn't have to get up early the next day roaming about in the most impossible force-forsaken places was one of the best sensations he had known in a long while. He pulled a blanket over himself, stretched out all four of his limbs and for the first time in ages, drifted into a deep, restful, dreamless sleep.
The no dreams was the best part. Until he felt something poking him and someone grabbed and shook his shoulder. He grunted and pulled the blanket over his head, hopeful that this dream, although the sensation felt very physically real, would pass. It didn't.
"Wake up! Please, wake up! I need you!" someone said in a pleading, desperate tone. A familiar voice.
"Anakin! What the….?"Kenshin blinked groggily.
"Padmé! She's gone! Help me!" Tears welled in Anakin's eyes and a despair like he had never seen before in his Padawan.
"Slow down! I'll help you, but first you need to tell me what happened."
Anakin reported. Padmé had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. The authorities had been alerted, of course, but what could they possibly do.
Kenshin called for his astromech, R 5, and demanded that R2 support him.
"One of her political opponents must be behind it. That Rhodian she calls uncle, and other senators have been assaulted as well. We need to find out if they keep her on Coruscant or took her off-planet somewhere. I assume the latter. And we better be fast."
"What makes you think they took her off-planet?"
"It's easier to dispose of a galaxy-wide known senator somewhere in the outer rim than in the Galactic capital. And they may have other plans than killing her. I will alert my contacts in the Coruscant underworld anyway."
The young Jedi Master didn't lose any time. He sent a series of coded messages to all sorts of more or less shady beings and other spies in his networks, while commissioning Anakin to have the hangar personnel ready the Kiko, his ship. Then he made a call to an institution that seemed to be Coruscant's planetary air and orbital traffic control. A hefty amount of credits later, covertly transferred to the respective people, Kenshin had access to the entire system.
With the combined computing power of R2 and R5, he scanned all outgoing traffic leaving the planet since the moment of Padmé's disappearance. He knew the chances to discover that very ship that abducted Senator Amidala were painfully slim to non-existent, but he had to try. He let the droids check for any ship belonging to any organization directly or indirectly tied to the Trade Federation, the Banking Clan or Kamino, hoping to find an irregularity.
A minute passed. Then 10 minutes. Then 15. Anakin fidgeted. And fidgeted and fidgeted.
R5 beeped startling both Jedi.
"Look!" Kenshin said.
It was a smallish transport with a registered route to Kamino and unsuspecting cargo. That told Kenshin that the cargo manifest had most probably been faked. R5 had already gone ahead and calculated a continuation from the ship's last know trajectory points which indicated that the ship was headed to somewhere in the Rishi Maze. Kenshin pulled up a star map, and there was nothing listed at the calculated destination.
There wasn't much to discuss. Instants later, the Kiko blasted out of the temple hangar with both Jedi on board. Neither even worried about this being an unauthorized mission. At the coordinates their target was headed to, they found no ship. But an abandoned-looking space station.
Kenshin activated the stealth equipment.
"Better we go in quietly!" he commented.
He set the Kiko to circle around the old space station. It looked old and there was no activity to speak of. A ruin.
"Do we have a way to scan for life forms,Master?"
"On it!"
There were five life forms. And a ship – the small cargofreighter Kenshin had identified and tracked.
The Jedi found a hangar to land the ship in and headed to where R2 and R5 had indicated the life forms to be.
There was a door, and to their greatest surprise, it opened without any resistance. Behind that door, Padmé, strapped onto a torture device.
"Ani?" She asked incredulously."Oh my,am I glad to see you! "
"Where's the people who captured you? Are you ok? Were you tortured?" Anakin asked while working on freeing her from her shackles. The answer to his last question was obvious; she was in rough shape.
"They've left, mere instants before you two arrived. They were trying to press me into voting for the bill. They threatened to kill you, and my whole family and…." The rest of her words drowned in sobbing. To bring someone like Padmé Amidala to tears…Anakin didn't even want to imagine what they had done to her. A dragon of rage rose in his heart.
"Something's not right" Kenshin said.
"That's one way to put it,Master!" the younger Jedi replied. "Look what they've done to her!"
"That's not what I mean! There's no one defending or trying to protect this place? No resistance!? And, we have been here for less than five minutes and within this short time frame, the temperature in here has risen. Significantly! I would love to know what's going on here!"
R2 came back, rolling into the room, and he didn't like the information the astromech brought with him.
"Calm down, Artoo! They've what?"
"They've corrupted the station's reactor core!" Anakin translated the droid's panicked beeping.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Padmé asked.
"The station is about to explode!"
Both astromechs beeped frantically
"How much time do we have?
Kenshin listened to R2's analysis.
"Not enough. Explosion is about to happen in 2 minutes and even if we make it to the ship, the blast will destroy it before we can make the jump to hyperspace.
No one spoke a word. Thoughts ran through Anakin's head at a million parsecs an hour. He had to find a way, and fast.
"Unless someone contains the blast"Kenshin said.
Realization hit Anakin like a comet.
"But…you're saying…no Master, then I will stay, and you go!"
"You, Anakin, have a war to end and you, Padmé, a Republic to save!"
"There has to be another way!" Anakin reached deep into the Force, slowing everything down to see, to find a solution that might save them all.
He grabbed at the Force and found nothing but this one terrible outcome. He looked his Master in the eyes. There was no fear. Only determination. A man who knew he was about to die and who was at peace with it.
"You have become my brother. My friend. Thank you for walking the last part of my path with me. Go now. You will save the galaxy; I know you will. Just always remember to believe in yourself!"
With that, Kenshin turned away and ran towards the reactor core. There was not much time.
His mind, his heart, his entire body felt ablaze. About to explode like the dying space station the Kiko sped away from, giving it all the engines could. He wanted to yell and scream until his voice would give out. He didn't, for Padmé's sake.
She was now the only person in the galaxy for him, she was now everything he had.
Everything.
His mother ripped from him, and now Kenshin, too. He had promised his mother to never fail again and here he was.
Failure. That's all I am. That's all I do, fail.
The first Padawan in the history of the Jedi Order who managed to get two Masters killed 'he thought bitterly. What a glorious way to stand out.
I should have been the one to stay. I should have died here, not him.
The small ship's hyperdrive was charged and they made the jump.
What would he tell the Council? Two Jedi had set out an unauthorized mission and only one was coming back. They had saved one of the galaxy's most important senators. Why even bother to ask himself these questions. Padmé was safe, a last beacon of light, love and hope in his cruel existence.
Anakin reached out with his feelings, into the Force once again. He hadn't felt his Master's death. He had always concealed his presence in the Force. Despair washed over him in bitter waves. No matter how dire the situation, Anakin would always find a way. He always had. But not this time. Kenshin was gone.
Blue streaks flew past the cockpit, while the rest of the corrupted space station finally blew apart, and debris blasted radially away from it into space, some of it still glowing from the heat.
Never had he felt a strain like that and had he had the spare energy; he would have screamed in pain. Kenshin didn't know how much longer he could hold it before the reactor core would collapse and explode. What he did know was exactly how long the Kiko's hyperdrive took to charge. 5 seconds. From where they had set off, it would take Anakin and Padmé about two minute to board the ship and launch, not more. A remote monitor device on his wrist cuff told him the ship had launched. 5 seconds. He made it 10 seconds, just to be sure. Maybe he could still make it. He had spotted an escape pod right in the next hallway. Maybe it was still functional. 10 more seconds. He let go and ran. The hatch flipped open and he jumped inside. He pressed the button. At last, the reactor core exploded. Kenshin felt how the pressure wave hit the pod and rocketed and accelerated it. Then, everything went black